Slot Car News Motor List

______________________________INTRO AND EXPLANATIONS:
The Slot Car News Motor List provides motor specifications for people wishing to build cars, write rules, create slot car classes, study motors, or just look at data. The Motor List is created, researched, written, and maintained by Robert Livingston, and is independent of any manufacturer or commercial entity.

Motors are listed alphabetically by name of importer or distributor, not the actual manufacturer. Most motors are made by Mabuchi (Fly, Ninco, Scalextric); Sun (Carrera, SCX, Slot.It), or others. Vintage motors are in a sub-category under “V”, at the end of the list.

RPM and torque data is at 12 volts, for purposes of comparison. If we do not have 12v data from the manufacturer or our own tests, we have extrapolated it from 14.8 or other voltages. This method is accurate within a few percent. [RPM/voltage, or gcm/voltage, extrapolated from RPM or torque at another voltage, is reported in brackets].

Motors are tested for RPM and torque turning clockwise (CW) looking forward at the motor as if it were in an inline car, unless noted counter-clockwise (CCW).

RPM ratings are no-load at voltage, as reported by the manufacturer or distributor (no-load RPM is the maximum a motor will develop). “Est.” means “estimated”. “Tested” means at least one sample was tested for RPM at the listed voltage, under no load, with this tachometer: www.checkline.com/tachometers/CDT-1000HD
The tach reads the RPM by shining a red light on a spinning disc on the motor shaft. The disc has a piece of reflective tape attached:
If an RPM range is given, two or more motors were tested. Tested RPM is in red.

Torque ratings are at stall, reported as “gcm” (gram centimeters) at voltage (stall torque is the maximum a motor will develop). Vintage motor torque data was found in inch-ounces, so a conversion factor of 1 in-oz = 72 gcm was used. Most torque data is manufacturer’s data; only limited tests of torque have been done by us. Tested torque is in red. A 1 cm, counterbalanced torque arm is secured to the motor shaft, with a push rod against a gram scale. Nine equally spaced readings around a single revolution of the armature are taken at 4 volts; the average is multiplied by 3, to derive 12v stall torque. This simple device is shown here:
Torque test results may vary from manufacturer’s claims, as different methods are used by different manufacturers to assess torque. In limited cases, Amp (A) ratings at 12v are listed, which are roughly equivalent to torque, so that two RPM versions of a given motor with the same Amp draw may develop the same torque.

The last data given for each motor is maximum power output, in Watts (W), at 12 volts. Power is derived from both RPM and stall torque. Maximum power is produced at around half the max RPM, where torque is also halved. The formula used is:

The formula is standard; please note that this power formula only applies to electric motors; it does not apply to gasoline or diesel, internal combustion engines! The conversion factor for Watts was given to us by Maurizio Ferrari, of Slot.It.

Generic designation (in parentheses) is based on Mabuchi designations:
(FC-130) is the standard slot car motor, sometimes called Mabuchi or S type.
(FK-130) is the Fox or TSRF type.
(FK-180) is the Boxer or long can type.
(FF-050) is the slim, long can F1 type.
(FF-030) is the slim, short can such as SCX 1/43 Compact.
(SH-030) is the small box type.

Motors of the same type can usually be interchanged in their specific chassis brackets, although the shaft lengths may not be the same.

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